This may seem an odd food choice only because most Americans have never tried it, however, Native Americans have a long history of eating acorns, and their popularity is growing due to their abundance, nutrition, and sustainability. According to the USDA, a 1 oz. serving of dried acorns contains 144 calories, 2.3 g of protein, 15.2 g of carbohydrates, 8.9 g of fat, and several vitamins and minerals.

Raw acorns, depending on the species, will have a mild to strong bitter taste from tannic acid. Besides being unpalatable, raw acorns consumed in large quantities over time can also cause kidney damage, so it’s important to leach the tannins out of the shelled nuts. The Indians placed them into a basket in a clean, fast-flowing stream, which would complete the leaching process in a day or two. Since most of us probably don’t have a clean, fast-flowing stream nearby, we’ll have to boil out the tannins.